What we do

For over 60 years, the Heart Foundation has been the trusted peak body working to improve heart disease prevention, detection, and support for all Australians. Since 1959 we have funded research projects worth over $670+ million.

Whilst our work has had a major impact on the survival rates of those suffering a heart attack and those living with heart disease, we will not be satisfied until it is completely eradicated. Coronary heart disease is still Australia’s number one killer, taking 50 lives every day.

To help us realise our vision of an Australia free of heart disease along with the teamwork and passion of our supporters and generosity of millions of Australians act to make a difference in the fight against heart disease by:

• Funding high-impact research, supporting emerging and leading heart health researchers 
• Working to improve heart disease prevention, detection, care and support for all Australians 
• Advocating to governments and industry for increased funding and resources for heart health 
• Building community awareness about living a heart-healthy lifestyle. We do this through public health awareness campaigns, accessible information and resources 
• Supporting health professionals in their work to prevent, diagnose, treat and manage heart disease. 

Our vision 

Towards an Australia free of heart disease. 

Our mission 

To reduce heart disease and improve the heart health and quality of life of all Australians through our work in Risk Reduction, Support, Care and Research.

Our purpose 

Leading the fight to save Australian hearts.

Our values 

Our values represent how we have evolved, and how we wish to continue working into the future. They guide the way we work together.

Stronger together	We believe in the power of unity, as we are strongest when we work together. We support each other so we all feel appreciated, by showing respect, leveraging diverse backgrounds, talents, perspectives, and resources.
Make a difference	We are proud of our history and our achievements; we use our past successes to guide the future. We work with evidence to be a trusted voice on heart health – when the evidence changes, we change with it.
Change the future	We are courageous and think big, but we don’t ignore the details. We promote creativity and innovation in our thinking and actions to continually increase our reach and impact.
Build connections	We build genuine connections with our community, stakeholders, partners and customers.  We strongly believe that what we do every day is for the benefit of others.
Act with integrity	We are honest and take responsibility for our actions. We value the opinions of others and always assume positive intent. We enhance our trusted reputation through the responsible and transparent use of donor funds.

Our key achievements 

$670+ million invested in research 

Over the last 60 years the Heart Foundation has invested over half a billion dollars to support Australian researchers. This funding helps to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease. 

10 million kids get skipping 

Since its launch in 1983, over 10 million kids have participated in Jump Rope for Heart, raising over $108 million. This wonderful initiative helps to keep primary school children active and promote the importance of physical activity in maintaining a healthy heart.  

Heart Health Checks 

In 2019, our ‘Serial Killer’ campaign aimed to reignite the public conversation about coronary heart disease. The campaign also looked to advance the Heart Foundation’s long-standing call for a Medicare-funded Heart Health Check. Just seven days post launch the government agreed to Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) funded Heart Health Checks from 1 April 2019.

CONNECTING HEARTS STRATEGY